To what extent is what is taught in Egyptian curricula true regarding the Ottoman enslavement of the Egyptian people and their role in the spread of ignorance and superstitions? And was the Ottoman Caliphate rightly guided and sound throughout its rule?

The Ottoman Empire went through different phases. In its beginning, it was strong and based on the rule of Islamic law. Then, weakness befell it due to inclining towards worldly matters and committing forbidden acts, which led to its decline. Dr. Muhammad Al-Sallabi is of the view that in its early era, the state was governed by God's law and adhered to the methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah (definition), whereas in its later era, it deviated from the conditions and causes of empowerment.

Al-Sallabi attributes the causes of the fall of the Ottoman Empire to moving away from ruling by God's law, which brought misery and hardship. The effects of this deviation manifested in all aspects of life (religious, social, political, economic), and consequently, tribulations continuously afflicted the people, as Allah Almighty says: {And let those who oppose His command beware, lest trial befall them or there befall them a painful punishment} (An-Nur: 63).

Among the reasons for the fall mentioned by Al-Sallabi are: the spread of polytheistic practices (shirk (definition)), innovations (bid'ah), and superstitions, and a significant deviation in the monotheism of worship (Tawhid (definition) al-Uluhiyyah) in the last two centuries of the state's existence, which obscured the light of monotheism.